The art of printing images with micro-fluid technology is relatively well-known. A permanent or semi-permanent printhead has access to a local or remote supply of fluid. The fluid is usually stored in a container, such as a tank or a cartridge. In an imaging device having a local supply of fluid, the container is installed within the housing of the imaging device. The fluid ejects from the printhead nozzles to a print media in a pattern of pixels corresponding to images being printed.
During printing, the printhead maintains a backpressure so that fluid cannot leak out of the printhead nozzles. Hence, tilting an imaging device having a local supply of fluid may cause serious issues. This is most commonly a problem for imaging devices which rely on the difference in the height of the printhead and the fluid container for setting the backpressure of the printhead.
Knowing whether or not an imaging device is tilted lends itself to a variety of consumer features. Imaging devices can warn users that the imaging device is tilted. Also, an operation of the imaging device may be suspended if the imaging device is tilted in order to avoid fluid spillage. Users may also be advised to perform corrective measures.
Manufacturers have implemented a variety of container tilt measurement systems and techniques. Each has its own set of advantages and problems. Some are cheap while others are costly. Some work as intended while others have proven so poorly that users regularly ignore them. Still others are complex, including complicated processing, algorithms. The optimum balance is to provide accurate tilt measurement over a lifetime of a fluid container, but without adding complexity or cost.
One existing method for detecting tilting is to install a traditional electrical tilt sensor on the imaging device's circuit board. When this sensor detects that the imaging device is tilted, the firmware closes a fluidic valve between the printhead and the fluid container in order to prevent the fluid from leaking out of the printhead nozzles. A dedicated electrical tilt sensor increases the cost of the imaging device.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for an alternative method for detecting tilt in the imaging device.